


Rosaries and Remains

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Drama, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-29
Updated: 2007-01-29
Packaged: 2019-05-31 07:30:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15114659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: "You had every right to hope.  It was a family member you loved...you wanted to believe."





	Rosaries and Remains

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Tish’s cell phone buzzed and Sam reached across the bed to grab it from the nightstand.

“Hello.”

“Why are you answering my sister’s phone?”

It was Alice and she did not sound pleased to hear from Sam. The Deputy was never sure how she felt about him…he wasn’t sure how she felt about anything. She seemed to be night and day about everything; Sam thought she might be bipolar. Of course, it wasn’t really his place to say anything about the mental stability of his girlfriend’s sister.

“Oh, Tish is in the shower. I can have her call you back.”

“No, I don’t really…look Sam, I hate being the bearer of bad news. It was never really my thing.”

“OK.”

“So just tell Tish to call mom when she gets some free time.”

“This sounds a bit more important than when she gets some free time. What's going on Alice?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” she sighed. “Please just have her call home.”

“I will.”

“Goodnight.”

She hung up the phone and Sam just looked at it. He couldn’t even begin to know what that was about. Tish was still in the shower, singing something by Dave Matthews. Sam sighed and put the phone on the bed.

“Hey Sparky!”

“Yeah?” he got up from the bed.

“Grab my towel, would you?”

Sam looked around the bedroom for the towel. This room was practically all Tish. He was still getting used to the naked poster-sized Pam Grier on the wall by the closet. He was always afraid of looking too hard at it and ticking Tish off. It was a bit hard not to stare at a beautiful woman right there in front of you.

“I think you need to call home.” He said, coming into the bathroom.

“What's going on?”

She wrapped herself in a towel, grabbed her moisturizer, and went back into the bedroom. Sam sat on the bed and watched her dry herself off. He loved that her nudity was not something Tish was shy about. He definitely could stare at her all day but there seemed to be more pressing issues at hand.

“I answered your cell phone and it was a very cryptic phone call from Alice.”

“Huh?”

“She said she hated to be the bearer of bad news and that you had to call home.”

“Bad news? Did she elaborate?”

“No. Just call home.”

“OK.”

Tish finished her moisturizing ritual and threw on one of Sam’s tee shirts. She lay across him on the bed and he patted her naked ass.

“Stop it you. I'm getting ready to call my mother. She senses mischief like a bloodhound.”

“You don’t want mischief but you wear no panties?”

“You're the one who declared this a naked bed. Anyway, I want plenty of mischief just not with mom on the phone. Hi mom, what's going on?”

“Hey Tish. Didn’t you talk to your sister?”

It sounded as if her mother had been crying and that concerned her. Melinda McTiernan was not the weeping type…something was wrong.

“Sam picked up my phone; said she was cryptic. She said she didn’t…mom what's going on?”

“Honey, I'm going to put Daddy on the phone alright? You can talk to him.”

“Mom? Mom?”

“Hey Tish.”

“Daddy, what's the matter? What's wrong with mom?”

“I should have called you myself and not asked your sister to do it. We got a phone call today from the Potomac, Maryland police.”

“Why?”

Everything moved in slow motion as her father explained to her the nature of the phone call. A week ago during excavations for a new shopping mall bones were discovered about three feet below the dirt in a field. The bones were found to be a boy between the ages of 10 and 12. The medical examiner determined them to be over a decade old, which sent detectives to the missing child files. Through dental records, they found the bones to be the body of the missing child Edward Daniel McTiernan Jr.

“Oh my God.” Tish gasped. “Are they sure daddy? How can they be sure?”

“Dental records are pretty definitive. He has the broken humerus that never healed and some personal affects were found at the dumpsite. They found his schoolbag Tish.”

“OK. OK.”

“Your mother and I are going to be able to put him to rest now.”

“I want to know who did this to him!” she exclaimed. “Are they going to reopen the case?”

“Its procedure. The police did tell us they found a fair amount of physical evidence but we shouldn’t get too hopeful.”

“I'm getting hopeful.”

“I know.” He took a deep breath. “This is going to open a wound…”

“It never closed.”

“The press will jump on this.” The Senator said.

“I will not speak to them. I promise.”

“Thank you. I'm sorry we had to tell you like this.”

“I'm not. We will get through this. I love you; tell mommy I love her too.”

“I will.”

Tish hung up the phone. Sam was concerned…knew something was terribly wrong. It could be anything; he wasn’t even going to hazard a guess.

“Sam, they found my brother.”

“What?”

“In a field in Potomac, Maryland where they were excavating to build another shopping mall.’

“Dear God. Are they sure?”

“Apparently my parents have already seen the remains. Dental records proved it. I um…”

Tish burst into tears and Sam pulled her to him. He knew she never wanted this to be the end of her brother’s story. Somewhere down deep Tish hoped and prayed he was still alive and they would see each other again. Now those hopes were dashed. Someone killed her brother and now they knew for sure.

“How could someone do that to a child?” she sobbed. “To my brother?”

“I don’t know honey. I wish I could answer that. At least now your family can give him a decent burial.”

“I don’t want a decent burial; I want the balls of whoever did this!”

That was certainly not an unexpected reaction. Ted McTiernan Jr. disappeared off a Georgetown street when he was eleven years old. The thought that his remains would be found, much less his abductor, was given up by many a long time ago. This new discovery, though devastating to his family, might lead to the cracking of a very cold case.

“I'm sorry Sam. I think I got snot all over your shirt.” Tish wiped her nose on the back of her hand.

“I don’t care about that. I don’t care.”

“I just feel…”

“You don’t know how feel. I mean, why would you? For so many years you’ve held just a glimmer of hope that he may be found alive.”

“It was so stupid to do that. I should have been realistic. How many missing children are found alive?”

“You had every right to hope. It was a family member you loved…you wanted to believe.”

“Goddammit!”

She got up from the bed, began pacing the floor, running her fingers through her hair.

“I cannot believe this is happening!”

“Tish, try to calm down.”

“Calm down!”

“Yes. Seriously, take a deep breath and calm down. I'm going to get you a glass of wine.”

He went to the kitchen and poured her a glass of white wine. Back in the bedroom, Tish sat on the side of the bed. She took the glass and drained half of it.

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

He sat beside her and they listened to each other breathe.

“This was certainly not the way I intended to spend my Saturday night.”

“How did you want to spend it?” Sam asked.

“Oh c’mon Sparks, I came to bed in your tee shirt and no panties. What do you think I had in mind?”

He smiled as she sipped her wine.

“I still have that on my mind, not to be crass or anything. Damn, I shouldn’t even have said that.”

“Why? I love that you want me.”

“Of course I do. I just don’t want you to think…”

“Sam,” she climbed on him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I don’t want to think at all. I only want you.”

Sam caressed her back, not sure he wanted to play the distraction role. But when she kissed him and took off her shirt all he cared about was satisfying her. He wanted to hear her whisper her name; scream it in fact.

***

“Hello, hello.”

Tish walked into her parents’ house. She peeled off all of her layers, putting her coat, sweater, and winter accessories in the hall closet. She found her mother in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette. Tish kissed her cheek and joined her, taking a Marlboro Menthol Light from the pack. She didn’t even like menthol but nicotine was something she needed right now.

“How are you feeling?” Tish asked.

“That’s a question I'm not prepared to answer. Kimmy has been my saving grace. We've been planning a dance at her school.”

“Don’t overexert yourself mom. You know you have this tendency…”

“Do not overanalyze me. You got that from your father, you know. I don’t know how you are so much like him but sometimes it makes me want to scream.”

“I'm sorry mom.” Tish’s voice cracked. “I didn’t mean…”

“No sweetheart, I'm sorry. This is just a really stressful time and I have to busy myself or I swear I’ll go mad.”

“I know.” Tish took her hand. “Isn't it better we know though? We can give him a proper burial; let him rest in peace.”

“Teddy will never rest until we find out who hurt him. The Secret Service is involved again.”

“They said it wasn’t political.” Tish replied.

“They don’t know a damn thing. Now the FBI thinks they are going to solve a 17-year-old kidnapping and murder. Since they did so well all those years ago.”

“Yeah.” Tish nodded. “Where’s daddy?”

“I'm not sure…work I think. We’re circling each other. Don’t look at me like that Atisha; everything is fine. It’s just fresh again and we’re dealing with it as best we can.”

“I know mommy. I think I'm going to go over to St. Augustine’s to light candles and pray. Do you want to come?”

“Not right now. I think it’s important for me to be here when Kimmy gets home. She was so young when all of this happened; it’s confusing to her.”

Tish definitely understood that. The first time around there had been so much press that her parents shielded the children from. That wouldn’t be possible this time and they were all aware of how sensitive the youngest McTiernan child was to unwanted attention. Melinda and Ted needed to make sure that the press remained respectful and maintained their distance.

“Maybe I will just wait until she comes from school and we can all go together.”

“I don’t think so honey. I just want to keep Kimmy in. You understand.”

“Yes.”

Tish took another cigarette for the road. She leaned to kiss her mother’s cheek.

“I’ll see you soon mom, OK?”

“Alright. Safe driving, and tell Sam I said hello.”

“I will.”

It took a while for Tish to bundle herself back into her winter clothes. Kimmy came in while she was doing that. She told her mother there were cameras outside of her school.

“Maybe they are filming a documentary about us.” she said.

“Did anyone try to talk to you sweetie?” Melinda asked.

“No mom. Am I supposed to be in their movie?”

“No sweetheart, and you know the rules about talking to strangers.”

“I know mom.” She gave an exasperated sigh and made a face in her sister’s direction.

Tish smiled, kissing her, and then left. She didn’t see anyone out there but she knew the press was lurking. Why couldn’t they be left alone to grieve?

***

“Hey there.”

On a snowy Tuesday morning Tish poked her head into the Deputy Communications Director’s office. He smiled, looking up from his usual pile of paperwork.

“Hey honeybug, what are you doing here?”

She came in and closed the door. Walking around his desk, she plopped on his lap. 

“I missed you.” She said.

“Yeah. This weekend was fast and I know this week will be crazy. I don’t know how much time we’ll have…”

“Plenty if you sneak out of here today.”

“Sneak out huh? And go where?”

“An afternoon at the Jefferson; hell a whole night there. We need to celebrate.”

Sam didn’t know what there was to celebrate. Most of the things happening over the past few days were cause for tears, like cheers.

“I think I may be a bit slow on why we are so happy.”

“Well,” she kissed him. “I love you and that is a big cheer.”

“Woo!” Sam spun them around and Tish held on tight. “That is definitely a reason to cheer. What else?”

“I got a call from Detective Mancini about an hour ago.”

“The detective who handled your apartment burglary?”

“Yeah. They found my rosary. It was in a pawnshop in Southeast. I got it back.”

Sam opened his hand and she laid it down. The look on her face was one of pure joy.

“See, we need to celebrate.”

“We definitely do. It’s just that the Leadership Breakfast is next week Tish and this is a chance for some bipartisan…”

“Blah, blah, blah.” She cut him off.

“Hey! C’mon, we need to take this seriously.”

“Sparky, you know that I am madly in love with your optimism but no way will a plate of waffles cause the Democrats and Republicans to hold hands and sing songs. Not even with New Hampshire maple syrup.”

“Hey, Eggos are pretty powerful weapons.”

“Blah, blah, blah.”

“OK, OK. Then how about I just don’t care today?”

“That’s plausible.”

“Just take one day off. It’s really cold outside and we can get naked under a big comforter. We can do the most delicious things to each other’s bodies.”

“How delicious?” Sam ran his hand under her sweater and across her naked stomach.

“Mmm, I don’t want to tell you. I want to show you.”

“I definitely want to be shown.”

They kissed again, Tish moaning as their bodies rubbed together.

“Just this one day…I only want to be with you.” She whispered, biting his earlobe.

“Oh, me too honey.”

“Then lets go. Its just a short walk to an afternoon of paradise. Tell Leo you're not feeling well.”

Sam smiled. The woman had him lying to his boss; he was in pretty deep. He picked up the phone, dialed a few numbers.

“Leo, its Sam. Yeah, I'm not really feeling 100% so I think I'm going to go home and try to sleep it off for a little while. I'm taking my laptop and a few binders about the breakfast. No, I should be fine by tomorrow. Yeah, I think so. Thanks Leo.”

Sam hung up the phone.

“I'm officially a liar now.” He said.

“Welcome to politics Sparky. Lets get out of here.”

“Yes ma'am.”

***


End file.
